Charlotte

Charlotte-based Bank of America will pay a $250 million civil penalty to resolve a U.S. regulator's claims that it manipulated foreign-exchange rates. New York-based JP Morgan and Citibank were fined $350 million each, and all three banks were ordered to improve oversight of their foreign-exchange trading.

Charlotte-based Synco Properties and Austin, Texas-based Schlosser Development want to build apartments, a hotel, offices and retail shops on a 27-acre tract at Sharon and Colony roads near SouthPark Mall. If rezoning is approved, the 353-unit Colony Apartments, built in 1972, would be torn down.

Amazon will open for business next week at Concord Airport Business Park, and the online retail giant will begin hiring 150 to 200 people in January, Concord Mayor Scott Padgett said. Seattle, Wash.-based Amazon will operate a 225,500-square-feet "sortation center" that could eventually employ up to 300.

A German valve-maker will build a $23 million plant and add 61 jobs over the next five year in Huntersville. Bürkert Fluid Control Systems will relocate to Huntersville from Charlotte, where it employs 66. Bürkert makes valves, sensors and other products used in water treatment plants, medical equipment and food and beverage processing equipment.

A new report shows a combined 32% of investors with a net worth between $5 million and $25 million prefer Charlotte-based Bank of America and San Francisco-based Wells Fargo as their primary bank. New York-based JPMorgan Chase & Co. came in third.

Allegiant Airlines will add two weekly flights from Concord to Tampa, Fla., beginning Nov. 15. The low-cost airline has served about 30,000 passengers since it began passenger service at Concord Regional Airport in Dec. 2013. The airport, located about 16 miles northeast of downtown Charlotte, has also seen a 150% increase in commercial operations since 2012.

At least a dozen projects are under construction inside the Interstate 277 loop in uptown Charlotte – including 1,400 apartment units – and groundbreakings for at least three offices towers are planned for next year.

The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources told Duke Energy it's plans for assessing groundwater contamination near coal-ash ponds at 14 power plants are inadequate. The state agency gave the Charlotte-based company 30 days to resubmit revised plans.

The new $120 million, seven-story parking deck at Charlotte Douglas International Airport is expected to open before Thanksgiving, typically the busiest week of the year according to interim aviation director Brent Cagle. The new hourly parking deck will add 4,000 public parking spaces and 3,000 spaces for rental cars.

Duke Energy says it could cost $3.4 billion to comply with the the state's new coal-ash law, which requires all 32 ash ponds at 14 active and retired power plants be closed by 2029. The Charlotte-based utility had previously said it could cost up to $10 billion to close the ponds.

Food Lion parent company Delhaize will sell its 66 Bottom Dollar discount food stores to German discount grocer ALDI. Just last week, Bottom Dollar's president Meg Ham was tapped to replace Beth Newlands Campbell as president of Salisbury-based Food Lion. All 66 Bottom Dollar stores are in the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh areas.

Turbomeca will close its helicopter-engine manufacturing plant in Monroe, phasing out 112 jobs over the next year. The French company opened the Union County plant in 2008 and was awarded about $2 million in local incentives and $3 million in state grants. The company said the closure is due to dwindling demand for its products.

Cheri Beasley, an associate justice, was confirmed the winner in the statewide N.C. Supreme Court race after a recount was completed Monday. The final tally showed Beasley received 5,410 more votes than opponent Mike Robinson, a Winston-Salem lawyer, out of more than 2.4 million votes cast. Beasley was appointed to the seat in 2012.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Heath Morrison resigned just two days after the completion of an investigation into allegations of misconduct, including bullying staff members, and cost overruns at new schools.

As part of an effort to expand its product offerings of healthier snacks, Charlotte-based Snyder's-Lance increased its stake in Late July Snacks – an organic snack company based in Boston – from 19% to 80%.

Heath Morrison resigned as superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to spend more time with his family, particularly with his mother who lives in Williamsburg, Va. He did not give specifics regarding his mother's condition. Morrison came to CMS in July 2012. Deputy Superintendent Ann Clark will take over the position in the interim role.

Corning Optical Communications is starting a 24-month analysis that could result in the fiber-optics company moving its headquarters out of Hickory. A division of Corning Inc., the company is Catawba County's eighth largest employer with more than 1,000 employees, according to the Catawba County Economic Development Corp. The company declined to release employment figures.

Dollar General has extended its $80 per share all-cash takeover bid of Matthews-based Family Dollar Stores until Dec. 31. Family Dollar shareholders are scheduled to vote Dec. 11 on a deal in which Chesapeake, Va.-based Dollar Tree would acquire the discount retailer for $74.50 a share in cash and stock.